Think you know your chicken? Take a look out our list of Myths about chicken… busted!
Myth 1. You should remove the chicken skin before eating.
The delicious crispy brown mouth-watering skin that you get on a breast of chicken contains far less saturated fat than unsaturated. The majority of fat in chicken skin is actually heart-healthy unsaturated fats. It is therefore possible to enjoy a ‘skin-on’ chicken breast without fear of going over your daily saturated fat limit.
Myth 2. You should wash your chicken before cooking
Many of us think that it is important to rinse chicken under the tap to wash away any bacteria before cooking. This common practice can lead to fatal food poisoning. Washing chicken can splash contaminants (such as Campylobacter) around your kitchen. *Wash your hands after handling uncooked meat.
Myth 3. Brown eggs are healthier than white eggs
The colour of the chickens eggshell has nothing to do with its nutritional value. The quality of the egg depends on the type of chicken and on what it eats.
Myth 4. Hens will only lay if there’s a rooster around.
Egg-laying is part of a hen’s natural cycle. A hen produces an egg regardless of whether there is a rooster around.
Myth 5. Free-Range chickens are free to perch, roost, nest and dust-bathe outdoors with access to a natural diet of insects and worms.
Free-range birds may share a space similar to ‘cage-free’ poultry (the size of an A4 sheet of paper) but are permitted outdoors for at least part of the day; this could be a small fenced area with little to no grass, insects or worms.
Free-range ‘organic’ chickens have an organic diet receiving no hormones or antibiotics. Ask your local butcher for ‘Pasture-raised’ chickens that spend most of their time outdoors with access to a natural diet and do not share space with ‘cage-free’ or ‘aviary’ chickens.
Remember, you can always ask us anything in The Butcher’s Block. It’s better to be informed that to make a mistake!